my six-word memoirs

These six words on the door speak volumes. Photo taken 11/3/05 in Bicol province, Philippines.


In the most recent issue of Time Out New York (1/31-2/6/08) they referred to a six-word memoir contest held by Smith Magazine. The most famous six-word story was written by Hemingway, who when challenged to come up with a story in six words, penned this unbeatable zinger: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Smith received 15,000 contest entries, of which the one that won was "Barrister, barista, what's the diff, Mom?" TONY also did its own survey, wandering around the city and asking random people to come up with their own 6 words. The results are on page 2 of their recent issue (and can also be found here).

So of course when I read that article I had to immediately put the magazine aside and come up with my own version. A six-word memoir! Very cool challenge. I set the timer to 30 minutes (you know, like a test administrator) and willed myself to come up with 6 versions.

Here are my 6-word memoirs. Wanna share with me yours?

1. (RECANTED!)

2. I treat employment like bad boyfriends.

3. Awesome marriage, why aren't we parents?

4. Abused infant, sullen child, healed woman.

5. I've written 45 diaries, all unread.

6. Most frequent statement made: "It's over."


It turns out Smith Magazine also created a website for such 6-word submissions. Hmmm, maybe I'll post the above six.... nah, I don't think so.

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Addendum 2/1/08: It took 48 hours after I had written the first item in the list above for me to realize that I was OUT OF MY FREAKING MIND to have written something like that. (I had written something about praying for lay-offs so that my situation can decide for me and not the other way around). Within days of writing that I was beseiged by current events and personal news of people being let go due to the faltering economy. My immediate reaction, being typical me: "Mother of God, what have I done??!!"

I am so sorry for posting that thought. I was being all self-deprecating and cynical, and only later did I realize I was putting out there more than that.

"Two people are coming out of a building." - #2 of 5

Dresser. Photo taken 2/17/07.


(Portrait 2)

Two people are coming out of a building. An older woman with a lanky frame tells her son, "I wrote down his phone number in case you can't get a hold of me." The son takes what she hands him and puts it in his wallet alongside a wad of receipts. He doesn't notice what the paper looks like.

Years later he tries to come back to this moment again and again, trying to find a new clue. The contents of his wallet of that day remains piled up on the dresser, untouched since the last time he pored through it. The pile has started to look like a shrine. Or a pile of kindling, waiting to catch fire. Cremated along with the rest, but he does not like to think of it that way.

"Two people are coming out of a building." (5 portraits) - #1

View at the top of Sacre Coeur church (Montmartre, Paris). Photo taken 10/19/06.


"The only exercise I know is one I don't use much myself because it works a little too well. It can feel extremely compelling. It's useful if you're trying to discover what to write next, and are willing to be surprised. Say to yourself, 'Two people are coming out of a building.'"

- Allice Mattison, Now Write!

(Portrait 1)

Two people are coming out of a building. The lawyer, Mr. Earl, asks Rita, "How did you know it was over? I'm curious after what I just saw in there."

Rita doesn't answer right away. She holds the door open for him. Then she laughs. "Actually, I knew during our honeymoon.

We were in Paris, as a gift from my dad, at the Sacre Coeur church to be exact," she explains. "He jumped the turnstiles because he didn't want to pay five euros to climb up to the top. The tourists behind us looked at him like he was some kind of animal. 'It's a goddam roof,' he says. 'Why the hell would I pay money for that?'"

"That was when I knew," Rita says. "It's one thing to be cheap when you're on vacation, but right then and there I saw him haggling with plumbers and cashiers for the next 20 years, and I just didn't want to go there. I think that was the start.

That night I couldn't bring myself to touch him. I picked a fight and used that as an excuse to sleep early."

folder #2 (Sony) = Bryant Park, daytime

Photos taken 12/4/07. InDesign layout done 1/24/08.


File Folder #2 (Sony SLR-like)

What: Bryant Park during the holiday season

When: Dec 4, 2007

Where: 41st-42nd Sts. between 5th + 6th Aves., NYC

Why: My manager told me I could take my time coming in that morning so I took the opportunity to shoot the fanatic 8-9am ice skaters.

The rest of the folder could be found here.

Note: Some of the shots were photoshopped to grayscale (aka black-and-white) while portions of it were left in color. Yes, I know this has been done and it's cliche but I've never done it myself so I wanted to give it the good ole try.

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In other news:

It's all coming together now. This morning I checked out Superhero's photoblog and -- gasp! -- I saw that there's finally a place for me to join when it comes to my photos. Shutter Sisters is a community to post shots, and join photo contests, and get freaky-dicky inspired. I am so excited about this that I feel a bit faint. Now it makes sense why I deleted ALL my Flicker photos a few days ago and at the same time I came up with my Eureka idea of using this photoblog to archive and weed out my e-folders.

When I kept pressing the delete button in Flickr I was like, "why am I doing this?" And my insides were like, "Do it! Just do it!." The next day I came up with my archiving-weeding eureka moment and then I pitched the idea to Ats (aka Judge Connie, Mayor of All Montoyas) so she can monitor me every week.

I thought I was doing all of these just to organize. It turns out I was doing it to clean house so I can make way for the New that was knock-knock-knocking on my heavenly door.

I'll post my Flickr link once it's live again (which means I've officially joined Shutter Sisters). Yeehah!

folder #1 (Exilim) = Kayla's Halloween party at her daycare

Photos taken 10/27/06. InDesign treatment above done 1/21/08.

A thousand thanks for all that you are, Ate. I am grateful to you for being my willing Muse and cosmic older sibling in this project.

Here we go, then.

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File Folder #1 (Casio Exilim point-and-shoot)

What: Kayla's Halloween party

When: Oct 27, 2006

Who attended (not nec. in pics): her Mommy and Daddy, her Lolo and Lala, her Auntie T

Where: her daycare

Why is Ate looking at this: family shots, and because I asked her to.

More photos of this event can be found here. (You don't have to have a Kodak Gallery account. Just press the "slideshow" button.)

beautiful man in a beautiful world

At Olympic National Park, WA. Photo taken 8/3/04.


This part of Lorin was really present today during the Reiki circle we participated in, hosted by our Reiki teacher. The day was everything true and right. One of the things I love about it, besides receiving and giving the Reiki itself, was seeing Lorin when he gets in this state. It's impossible for me not be deeply in love with this man.

where in the world is Teaneck T?

Oh, let's see. I've been on the 25th floor of here:


Grace Building, midtown. Photo taken 1/11/08.


And I've also, at the same exact time, have been here:

Puffin preserve, Teaneck. Photo taken 1/9/08.


But my sister, with her newbie enthusiasm for photography, has inspired me to come back to this site again. Through her I have learned once more that sometimes, especially when it comes to feeling alive, enthusiasm really is everything.